Dining Out: Café Normandie serves up love with every meal

Joie de vivre. It's my favorite French expression. Not only is it fun to say, it's fun to think about: "the exuberant enjoyment of life." Shouldn't that be the goal?

Let's agree there cannot be good living without good dining. (Says me, but Benjamin Franklin, whose affection for the French was mutual, probably said it first.)

Here in the capital city of the Land of Pleasant Living, good living and good dining go hand in hand. Fusing our famed Maryland seafood with fine French cuisine is Café Normandie, a fixture on the ever-changing landscape of Main Street since its opening in 1986.

Our party of six was greeted warmly and led to what is arguably the best seat in the house –a large table in the bay window. But, since it was a cold, windy night, we asked to relocate near the central cheery fireplace and were happily accommodated.

Cafe Normandie French Bistro on Main Street in Annapolis is featured in the Dining Out Review.

(Paul W. Gillespie)

We received our menus, clinked wine glasses --tchin-tchin! -- and felt the cares of this weary world melt away. Friends, this is what fine dining is all about.

Naturellement, the wines are predominantly French – but owner-general manager Suzanne Evennou says they strive to make them affordable. On Mondays and Wednesdays, all bottles are half-price. Très bien!

I'll admit, critiquing French cuisine, with its centuries-old gastronomic reputation, gives this reviewer pause. So I enlisted the help of my French amie Delphine, an amazing cook who, with her husband Laurent, runs the Mas du Biaou B&B in the shadow of Provence's Mont Sainte-Victoire.

I asked: What are the three most important things in French cooking? She replied: fresh ingredients, a good chef – and love. "In a restaurant, you need a cook that is willing to make his customers happy with the meals he has cooked for them. As a customer, you can feel the love of the job in your plate."

Café Normandie succeeds in all three: locally-sourced ingredients, an award-winning chef, and heart for the task that's palpable. No wonder this grande dame of French cooking has survived over three decades in the high-rent district when so many eateries have come and gone.

The French stake their reputation on their bread, and here bon pain is a basket of warm baguettes and sourdough rolls with pots of whipped butter.

We could not resist the appetizer platter with a taste of about everything. At $32, it was pricey but worth it for the two-tiered presentation and bounty for sharing. Too bad our server did not take the time to interpret the different pâtés and other charcuterie.

On a cold night, the mushroom soup du jour ($5 cup) sounded good to me. It arrived hot as I like, its dull gray color enlivened by a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and bacon. To me, however, the toppings masked the delicate taste of the soup.

We could feel the love owner-chef Jean Louis Evennou infuses into his cooking when the entrees arrived. The colorful dishes, with their sauces and garnishes, looked like small works of art on white-plate canvasses.

By Paul W. Gillespie / Capital Gazette

The dining area with large fireplace. Cafe Normandie French Bistro on Main Street in Annapolis is featured in the Dining Out Review.

The dining area with large fireplace. Cafe Normandie French Bistro on Main Street in Annapolis is featured in the Dining Out Review. (By Paul W. Gillespie / Capital Gazette)

The Jean Louis sampler platter ($36) was particularly striking: four signature dishes of crab imperial, salmon and blueberries, shrimp Provencal and filet mignon with mushrooms, each in its own little well.

Sounds of mmm-mmm good emanated from around the table for the scallops in a creamy corn risotto ($30), buckwheat crepes -- one spinach and mushroom ($15), one ratatouille ($14) -- and the signature steak au poivre ($35), studded with cracked peppercorns. Sides were a simple garden salad or mélange of roasted potatoes, snap peas and carrots.

Our ami with the osso buco ($25 day's special) was moderately pleased. The roast pork in a silky brown gravy with carrots, noodles and fresh parsley was lovely to the eye, but he thought the meat should have been more tender on the fork.

Dessert is de rigueur in a French restaurant. Café Normandie makes most of theirs in house, including a variety of dessert crepes ($10).

We sampled profiteroles ($10), French cream puffs with ice cream; a chocolate éclair ($5); and an apple tarte tatin ($9) and enjoyed them all. I left no crumb behind from my pear tarte ($8). Served warm, with an almond-flavored custard on a flaky crust, it was a little slice of heaven.

My dining out MO is to take half my meal home to enjoy again the next day. Sadly, my leftover salad was dumped on top of my half crepe in a too-small box, making it all a soggy mess. Quelle bummer.

In this odd uneven time between winter and earnest spring, a little joie de vivre goes a long way. Whether it's a leisurely dinner with friends or a quick power lunch, you can count on Café Normandie to make the experience feel like a special occasion.

Scott Herbst, owner of the Sailor Oyster Bar on West Street, and Tony Piera, an owner of Mike’s Crab House Annapolis in Riva, discussed the types of oysters they serve their customers. Herbst restaurant offers dozens of varieties throughout the year, while Mike’s serves just one variety to its customers.

Scott Herbst, owner of the Sailor Oyster Bar on West Street, and Tony Piera, an owner of Mike’s Crab House Annapolis in Riva, discussed the types of oysters they serve their customers. Herbst restaurant offers dozens of varieties throughout the year, while Mike’s serves just one variety to its customers.

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Scott Herbst, owner of the Sailor Oyster Bar on West Street, and Tony Piera, an owner of Mike’s Crab House Annapolis in Riva, discussed the types of oysters they serve their customers. Herbst restaurant offers dozens of varieties throughout the year, while Mike’s serves just one variety to its customers.

Scott Herbst, owner of the Sailor Oyster Bar on West Street, and Tony Piera, an owner of Mike’s Crab House Annapolis in Riva, discussed the types of oysters they serve their customers. Herbst restaurant offers dozens of varieties throughout the year, while Mike’s serves just one variety to its customers.